The 10th edition of the Gent Jazz Festival will begin on Thursday July 7th with none other than Sonny Rollins as the Special Nights’ headliner. This jazz legend had been on the festival’s wish list for a very long time and the birthday edition is an excellent occasion. His concert is preceded by the Michel Portal Quintet. TheNathan Daems Quintet, opens the Special Night after having won Young Jazz Talent 2010, the youth contest held yearly on the festival’s fringes.

On Friday the 8th of July, Al Di Meola World Sinfonia, together with special guest Gonzalo Rubalcaba will perform, with Dave Holland Quintet and Al Foster/George Mraz Quartet feat. Fred Hersch. The day’s opener is a coaching project in co-operation with University College Conservatory Ghent called Quartet dal Cuore feat. Paolo Ghetti.

July 9th is the festival’s first Saturday and a Special Night as well. B.B. King, Mavis Staples and the trio of Steven De Bruyn, Tony Gyselinck & Roland will be present.

On Sunday July 10th, the festival’s first four days will be concluded by Return to Forever IV Hymn of the 7th Galaxy Tour (an excellent band with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Gambale). The Belgian Rêve D’ Éléphant Orchestra will open before Terence Blanchard Quintet and Randy Brecker/Bill Evans Soulbop Band with Medeski, Martin & Wood.

Thursday July 14th three jazz queens will line up with Sing The Truth: Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves & Lizz Wright continue the legacies of Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln and Odetta. Three current icons will pay tribute to the women of song from the last generation. They will be preceded by Jef Neve and his trio and Philip Catherine Plays Cole Porter.

Both revelations Agnes Obel and Agnus & Julia Stone are on stage Friday July 15th. This day will be supplemented by local band Absynthe Minded. It’s a day dedicated to bands currently breaking through internationally and striving to meet high expectations in the future.

Gent Jazz Festival announces Gotan Project who are electro-tango masters and a retro-funk musician Raphael Saadiq on July 16th. Nouvelle Vague will be the first group to play on the initial day of the Gentse Feesten.

Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub feat. Trixie Whitley & Brian Blade will play on the closing day, July 17th. The festival organization looks forward to this concert after having cancelled Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub last year due to a motorcycle accident. But we are looking forward to vocalist Trixie Whitley as well. Last year her performance won hearts and minds with a special project. Later that day groups include: BackBack which is a local band, Red Snapper and Morcheeba with frontwoman Skye in the original line-up.

The music contest ‘Young Jazz Talent Ghent, an initiative in co-operation Duvel-Moortgat brewery will take place at the festival grounds’ entrance. Free entry every time right before the first concert on the main stage.

New!

Thanks to the co-operation with the city museums in Ghent it is now possible to get free access to one of the 9 museums in Ghent using your Gent Jazz Festival Ticket as an admission ticket. A nice extra for festival visitors. Up until the end of August visitors can be introduced free of charge to the permanent collections from De Wereld Van Kina, Design Museum, Huis Van Alijn, Kunsthal St.-Pietersabdij, MIAT, MSK Gent, Museum Dr. Guislain, SMAK and STAM.

The tickets will obviously remain valid as transportation ticket on De Lijn busses or trams. De Lijn will take you for free, safe and without parking concerns to Gent Jazz Festival and back!

The new online platform will become active on 30.03, the platform will inform festival enthusiasts thoroughly about the festival and about other information such as website, facebook, blog… In the coming weeks the website will be expanded with an archive containing past editions, blog messages, actions and cool extras. Moreover, written and photo reports will be published on this platform during the festival.

Info:www.gentjazz.com. Tickets: gentjazz.com or Fnac. Day Ticket early bird rate: 35 Euro – Special Night early bird rate: 42 Euro – July 15th: 25 Euro. Festival pass early bird rate: 212 Euro (limited number, early bird action up until April 30th). 3day pass early bird rate: 79 Euro (early bird action up until April 30th). The sales channels will add a 3 Euro reservation cost per ticket or pass. The prices for buying tickets on the spot is presale rate + 7 Euro.